People 'get happier as they age' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Most people get happier as they grow older, studies on people aged up to their mid-90s suggest.

Despite worries about ill health, income, changes in social status and bereavements, later life tends to be a golden age, according to psychologists.

They found older adults generally make the best of the time they have left and have learned to avoid situations that make them feel sad or stressed.
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She found the older people were far less likely than the younger to experience persistent negative moods and were more resilient to hearing personal criticism.

They were also much better at controlling and balancing their emotions - a skill that appeared to improve the older they became.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8183522.stm




What, you mean people mature as they get older? Get outa here! (Obviously, no Repugs were included in this study.)

[havocmom]

1. Not all of them

as seen on TV

[sandnsea]

2. You mean after our kids move out?

We become calmer? Nah, get outa here!

lol.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Well, hell, I am positively giddy then.

[SoCalDem]

4. Naturally.

As people age, they come to terms with the fact that they will not be what they thought they would be when they grew up. Time has a way of making people accept what and who they are.

When you are 30, there is still scads of time to "become" what you aspire to, but one day you look in the mirror, and 30 more years have passed, and there are many more behind you, than ahead, and you realize that wasting time waiting for things to happes, is not a productive use of the time left.

if you can accept your life the way it is, you can be "happy" with your lot, and not waste any more time

[Bucky]

7. Alternative theory: today's 90 year olds are happy that they aren't dead yet

If you're 90 years old today, you get to say "that which didn't kill me made me stronger."

All their contemporaries who didn't make it this far can only say "that which didn't kill me was apparently followed by that which did."

[Bucky]

5. Alternative theory - people born more recently in history had less cause to experience happiness

If you were born in, say 1919, you've seen your family survive a Depression, a world war, a cold war, the end of segregation, men walking on the moon, women walking in space, and the development of the wunderbra.

If you were born in 1979, your life story includes the emergence of reality television, the commercialization of childhood, the pornographication of commercials, 12 years of ReaganBush, 8 years Dumbfuck Bush, and in between them six years of Speaker Newt Gingrich. Does anyone really want to tell me today's 90 year olds haven't had a better life than today's 30 year olds?

[silverweb]

6. I agree.

I've been observing this in my own life lately and giving it quite a bit of thought, and I absolutely concur. I'm only 60, young for this survey, but I've never been happier.

So many things just don't seem to matter as much once the kids are grown and life settles down into a less demanding pattern.

There's less of a tendency to take superficial matters or the petty opinions of critics seriously. Work isn't as stressful and becomes just a job without career-track stresses.

Life is a little slower, and there's time not only to smell the flowers, but to grow and nurture them, as well.

Obviously, this depends greatly on individual circumstances, but I can see where the general trend for the majority would be towards greater personal contentment and happiness with aging.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. I think it's because at some point you just don't give a damn about a lot of things

that used to be a big deal. Now that I'm old(ish) I no longer care about clawing my way to a great career because it's just not going to happen. Since I'm not going to get any better looking I don't worry about what other people think of my appearance. I'm not likely to find another husband at my age so I don't worry or care about not having a date on Saturday night, though there was a time when I found that very depressing. At this point I am what I am and will always be, and I just don't worry about a lot of shit that used to drive me crazy. My life isn't perfect but I've come to accept what it is.

[alfredo]

9. It takes less booze to get a buzz. Cops ignore us. Stand on the corner and

they think you are waiting for the light to change.

[dorkulon]

10. Well, Obama's Death Panel will take care of that.

HARHARHARHARHARHARHARHAR!!!!!

[newfie11]

11. until the carotids clog then they turn mean, LOL

[jody]

12. Happier perhaps but more tolerant of those with youthful exuberance tilting at windmills. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

13. That's been my experience.

I'm much happier now at 62 than I was at 42. I'm not sure how much of that is attributable to not being with the "ex," however. When he walked out the door, I immediately felt 20 years younger.

[seabeyond]

14. i hit my forties and bliss settled on me. i agree. nt

[applegrove]

15. That is definitely true for me....the part about staying out of trouble or in my case

staying away from people who are trouble.